Image Credit: World Rowing
Entries: 10
Mads Reite of Norway is the only competitor from the European Rowing Championships racing in Varese. The teenager made his senior debut in Plovdiv and made the A-final, finishing fifth.
The challengers for the gold and silver are both likely to be from the home nation, and a family affair. ITA1 is Giovanni Borgonovo, U23 world champion in 2022 and 2023 and an U23 silver medallist in 2024. He also raced in the lightweight quad at a couple of World Rowing Cups in 2021 and 2023, winning a gold medal on both occasions. ITA2 is Giovanni’s younger brother Luca. He’s also an U23 world champion from the lightweight men’s quad in 2022 and won senior World Rowing Championship gold in the same boat class in 2023. Last season, he raced at the U23’s, winning silver in the lightweight double.
Uruguay’s Felipe Kluver Ferreria is another former U23 world champion, winning the gold in the lightweight single in 2022. He also raced in the lightweight double at the Tokyo Olympic Games, reaching the A-final. Last year, he raced the light single at the World Rowing Championships, winning the B-final.
Another athlete with Olympic experience is Shakhzod Nurmatov of Uzbekistan. He finished 15th in the lightweight double and raced that boat at the World Rowing Championships in 2019, 2022 and 2023. He is also an U23 medallist in the lightweight pair from 2021.
Hong Kong’s Hin Chun Chiu is the oldest competitor in the event at the tender age of 30. He raced in Paris, finishing 20th in the single. He also raced the lightweight single at the 2024 World Rowing Championships, placing 12th. He made history in 2024, winning Hong Kong’s first-ever able-bodied World Rowing gold medal, winning the lightweight single at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup.
Slovakia’s Peter Strecansky won bronze in the lightweight single at the opening World Rowing Cup of the 2024 season. The teenager also won bronze at the U19 World Rowing Championships in 2022 and 2023, and last season placed fourth in the lightweight single at the U23 World Rowing Championships.
Brian Poll represents the Netherlands. He made his international debut in 2023, finishing third (of three) in the lightweight quad at the second World Rowing Cup. Last season, he moved into the lightweight double for the opening World Rowing Cup, finishing tenth. At Eindhoven University, he raced in the eight at the European University Championships.
Iraq’s Mohammed al-Khafaji competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, placing 22nd in the single. He raced in the lightweight single at both the 2022 and 2023 World Rowing Championships with a best result of tenth in 2023.
The final competitor in the event is Estonia’s Artjom Holostohh. The 21-year-old was seventh in the lightweight single at the 2024 European Rowing Championships and has one senior appearance to his credit, with an 11th in the lightweight double at the opening World Rowing Cup of 2024.
Prediction
Italy in gold and silver, with Uruguay in bronze.
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